BA vs. LX biz GVA-USA: a comparative review
Oct 6, 2012, 9:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Posts: 247
BA vs. LX biz GVA-USA: a comparative review
I recently had to make a last-minute booking for a trip to NYC from GVA, and BA was approximately 35% cheaper than the nonstops on LX/UA in biz, or any other Star Alliance offerings with a full-flat seat, which I decided more than compensated for the stopovers at LHR and missing M&M mileage credit / segments.
Thought a comparison of the BA CW experience vs. long haul biz on LX might be interesting for readers of this forum.
I flew GVA-LHR-EWR outbound and JFK-LHR-GVA back.
1) Booking experience
This was quite frustrating: even though the fare (I-class) was fully flexible according to the itasoftware, ba.com claimed it was restricted in the summary fare rules, and I could not find any way to display the full fare rules… I had a strong preference for a flexible fare on this trip, so I booked via my corporate travel agency, who confirmed that the fare was indeed fully flexible; this incurred a booking fee. On ba.com’s “manage my booking” page, my booking still showed up as restricted however…
CONCLUSION: Slight win for LX, since I have never noticed inconsistencies between itasoftware and the summary conditions viewable on swiss.com. But it really is unacceptable that both airlines can get away with selling tickets on their websites without disclosing the full fare conditions.
2) Online check-in
This was quite smooth on ba.com, with the exception of finding the hours for airport check-in / baggage drop – this information is available, but needlessly hidden. Also, each flight segment required a separate boarding pass printout (but at least not 2 copies of each like on swiss.com). Mobile boarding pass would have required the installation of an app on my BB, so I passed – LX is much better here, unless you’re a frequent BA flyer and install a specific app I guess.
CONCLUSION: slight win for swiss.com for the ease in obtaining a mobile boarding pass and finding airport luggage drop times, in spite of their stupid double paper boarding pass copies.
3) Airport baggage drop and security GVA
This is where BA really falls short in GVA in my book!
Check-in only opens 2 hours before departure time, whereas LX allows you to drop your luggage up to 23 hours ahead. Also the BA check-in area is cramped. Security is identical, both LX and BA offer fast track for biz passengers.
CONCLUSION: clear win for LX.
4) Airport lounge GVA
BA operates its own lounge at GVA. Décor is quite attractive IMO, and food (some sandwiches, nice pastries and fruit) is better than what LX provides. However, power sockets were sorely lacking at many seats, and the lounge is quite dark as it essentially fronts another part of the terminal. Location, restroom and internet are the same as for the LX business lounge.
CONCLUSION: basically a tie, maybe a slight win for BA’s lounge, which has slightly better food offerings and just felt more exclusive than LX’s bright, airy but large and impersonal lounge.
5) Gate/boarding at GVA
BA flights leave from the midfield non-Schengen satellites, which are woefully undersized. The emigration facilities also often have long lines. The flight was called at the lounge, but I still had to wait approx. 15 minutes at the gate before boarding started. Even though boarding began late, there were no explanations or apologies given. There was a fast-track sign, but no clear separate queue, so things were pretty chaotic. When departing on LX/UA to the US, the gate area is also dumpy, but the emigration facilities are generally empty. If you are flying via ZRH, boarding is via one of the Schengen gates in the main terminal, this is by far the most attractive option.
CONCLUSION: clear win for LX, should be even better if they actually enforce priority boarding going forward.
6) In-flight experience GVA-LHR and LHR-GVA
The A319/320 cabins made a good impression overall, and were clean. Seats appear somewhat old-fashioned vs. the slim-line offerings on most *A carriers, but offer plenty of legroom and personal space by European biz standards – definitely better than LX’s similar “Y with blocked middle seat” arrangement. Hot towel service - nice. Catering on both flights was fine, trays with smoked salmon concoctions each time – compare that to basically nothing on GVA-ZRH. Silverware on the GVA-LHR was badly washed, and glass chipped/cracked on 2 of my 4 flights (can’t remember which exactly anymore). Another negative: no connecting flight data displayed on the monitors prior to landing, although given the fact that gates are assigned so late at LHR, this would only make sense for tight connections anyway.
CONCLUSION: slight win for BA, for its more upscale offering. Of course GVA-ZRH is too short to offer much catering-wise.
7) Transfer experience at LHR
This was actually the biggest positive surprise for me, I was expecting a hassle that never materialized. There was a dedicated fast-track lane for flight connections and security, with very short queues. In addition, the security staff was extremely professional and polite, a huge contrast to my experience at LCY just a week before.
Visited both Galleries lounges – they are large, décor is quite attractive and food selection is far more extensive than at the lounges available in ZRH for LX biz class passengers (Business and Bellevue lounges). However, slow/sloppy cleanup was something of an issue (more in Galleries North than South), wifi was spotty/slow, and for some reason the landing page you are directed to after finally logging in doesn’t display flight/gate information, forcing you to repeatedly get up to take a look at the monitors if your seat is not located near one - this would be so simple to fix! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to use the showers on my way back, as my inbound flight was delayed. This delay allowed me to see how well/badly IRROPS were being handled – it looked like BA do a good job at this, as there were approximately 5 agents, each holding a sign for a different connecting flight, meeting our flight as we entered the terminal.
CONCLUSION: a tie vs. connecting at ZRH when arriving from the US, which was a positive surprise for me, given LHR’s terrible facilities in other terminals (at least T1 and T4, haven’t been to T3 in ages). ZRH still has an edge outbound however, as you don’t need to go through security when in transit (even a good security check is worse than no security check).
8) BA 777 service LHR-EWR (BA 189)
The first impression of the cabin is not that good I’m afraid. It just seems like a large expanse crammed with seats. I had seat 15K, selected by travel agency at time of booking, as OLCI was already open. The seat had some advantages: window and direct aisle access; however, the window nearest to my head was missing. The seating area was not particularly clean, especially the divider which had some sort of dried spillage, and the space felt quite narrow. In addition, the right armrest was wobbly and the monitor didn’t tilt vertically. That said, I found the seating remarkably comfortable, and much softer than on LX. It was also nice not to have my feet “boxed in” when I reclined. It was quite irritating to have to keep the floor area totally clear during take-off and landing, somehow this never seems to be an issue on LX (or on the 747 upper deck, see below). It’s also a bit awkward to be closely facing a stranger until the safety briefing has been completed.
Catering was – surprise! – better on BA than LX. My main (hake) was tasty and the portion size was quite large, the dessert (cheesecake) was yummy. The appetizer (beet salad w/watercress and crumbled goat cheese) was fine as well, only the side salad was not the freshest. The afternoon tea (3 different small sandwiches and warm scones) hit the spot and blows LX’s pathetic snack offering out of the water. Only positive on LX: Nespresso - OK, a major positive
IFE content and user-friendliness was good, found it largely comparable to LX. Headsets were better (noise-cancelling), but there was annoying static if I accidentally touched the plug area.
Service was excellent overall.
CONCLUSION: Tie. LX has a more upscale and CLEANER cabin, but the BA seat was more comfortable and catering was clearly superior.
9) Arrival experience at EWR
Terminal B is hands down my favorite international entry point to NYC. I was out of the terminal and in my livery cab within 30 minutes of landing. No lines anywhere (being a US citizen helps), and priority luggage tags worked. This is consistent with my past experiences at EWR on LX as well.
CONCLUSION: tie.
10) Airport baggage drop and security at JFK
Premium check-in is located in a separate section of the (old) terminal, with a dedicated security check as well. There was a short wait for check-in, and the agent was not the sharpest knife in the drawer – he also forgot to add a priority tag to my bag. But I went from the curb to the lounge, located in the gate area, in 15 minutes tops. This is a MAJOR improvement over LX at T4, where the lounge is located before security.
Conclusion: clear win for BA, in spite of outdated terminal appearance.
11) Airport lounge JFK
The Galleries Lounge made a similar impression on me as the LHR ones did, except for the fact that it felt less airy due to lower ceilings and lacking windows/views. The LX lounge, while smaller, has a great airfield view, and I have enjoyed many spectacular sunsets there – wifi is crappy in both lounges. Pre-flight dining was perfectly adequate and offered a much wider choice than LX does, but of course this is also due to the fact there is basically no meal service on the “Sleeper Service” flights to London. Flights are called in the lounge, same as LX.
CONCLUSION: clear win for BA due to location of lounge post-security and wide selection of food. However, the LX lounge is physically more attractive IMO.
12) Gate/boarding at JFK
When the flight was called in the lounge – this was approximately at scheduled departure time already, although the displays continued to show “on-time”, I walked to the gate… only to hear that boarding was being interrupted “for 10 minutes” to cool down the cabin (faulty APU). So I headed back to the lounge, and informed one of the agents of the further delay; she had not been made aware of this. She then told me they would call the flight in the lounge again. When they did, I was able to walk up to the separate fast-track queue at the gate, and board quickly.
CONCLUSION: tie – BA should have won because their basic configuration at JFK is far better with a post-security lounge located very close to the gates, however they didn’t handle the delay well.
13) 744 service JFK-LHR (BA 176)
Spent the extra CHF 123 to pre-book a window seat (63K) on the upper deck– this is clearly the way to go. There is ample storage room thanks to the side bins, which also provide a spacious feeling, it was easily the most comfortable I’ve ever been on a plane, even better IMO than the “throne” seats on LX – no I haven’t flown F (yet), don’t want to get spoiled I crashed and must have gotten over 4 hours of sleep on a flight lasting only 5:40. The FA left me alone until I was clearly awake, then rapidly brought me the small breakfast just before descent began. Only 2 negatives: water bottles were not handed out proactively (but were freely accessible at the top of the stairs, and not miniature ones like on LX), and again the seat area was not clean, with debris lying on one of the side bins. It was possible for me to access the aisle directly, by squeezing around the back of my seat, on the window side.
CONCLUSION: clear win for BA, LX has no equivalent product (upper deck window seat with direct aisle access).
14) OVERALL CONCLUSION
I was satisfied with my choice, as it met and partly even exceeded my expectations. I would definitely fly BA again if it were more attractive price-wise than LX (or the UA nonstops), and definitely prefer it to LH or AF, with their slippery slope seats. The upper deck on the BA 744 is a truly special experience, especially in a window seat, which no other TATL airline duplicates in biz IMO.
In addition, Executive Club and AAdvantage currently both have a special promo for Swiss-based members, with very generous bonuses on premium cabin transatlantic travel on AA/BA/IB – I received a bonus of 40k miles for the trip!
Areas BA need to work on: check-in times at GVA, cleanliness of long haul cabins and lounges, lounge wifi quality, as well as punctuality and communication of delays in boarding.
Thought a comparison of the BA CW experience vs. long haul biz on LX might be interesting for readers of this forum.
I flew GVA-LHR-EWR outbound and JFK-LHR-GVA back.
1) Booking experience
This was quite frustrating: even though the fare (I-class) was fully flexible according to the itasoftware, ba.com claimed it was restricted in the summary fare rules, and I could not find any way to display the full fare rules… I had a strong preference for a flexible fare on this trip, so I booked via my corporate travel agency, who confirmed that the fare was indeed fully flexible; this incurred a booking fee. On ba.com’s “manage my booking” page, my booking still showed up as restricted however…
CONCLUSION: Slight win for LX, since I have never noticed inconsistencies between itasoftware and the summary conditions viewable on swiss.com. But it really is unacceptable that both airlines can get away with selling tickets on their websites without disclosing the full fare conditions.
2) Online check-in
This was quite smooth on ba.com, with the exception of finding the hours for airport check-in / baggage drop – this information is available, but needlessly hidden. Also, each flight segment required a separate boarding pass printout (but at least not 2 copies of each like on swiss.com). Mobile boarding pass would have required the installation of an app on my BB, so I passed – LX is much better here, unless you’re a frequent BA flyer and install a specific app I guess.
CONCLUSION: slight win for swiss.com for the ease in obtaining a mobile boarding pass and finding airport luggage drop times, in spite of their stupid double paper boarding pass copies.
3) Airport baggage drop and security GVA
This is where BA really falls short in GVA in my book!
Check-in only opens 2 hours before departure time, whereas LX allows you to drop your luggage up to 23 hours ahead. Also the BA check-in area is cramped. Security is identical, both LX and BA offer fast track for biz passengers.
CONCLUSION: clear win for LX.
4) Airport lounge GVA
BA operates its own lounge at GVA. Décor is quite attractive IMO, and food (some sandwiches, nice pastries and fruit) is better than what LX provides. However, power sockets were sorely lacking at many seats, and the lounge is quite dark as it essentially fronts another part of the terminal. Location, restroom and internet are the same as for the LX business lounge.
CONCLUSION: basically a tie, maybe a slight win for BA’s lounge, which has slightly better food offerings and just felt more exclusive than LX’s bright, airy but large and impersonal lounge.
5) Gate/boarding at GVA
BA flights leave from the midfield non-Schengen satellites, which are woefully undersized. The emigration facilities also often have long lines. The flight was called at the lounge, but I still had to wait approx. 15 minutes at the gate before boarding started. Even though boarding began late, there were no explanations or apologies given. There was a fast-track sign, but no clear separate queue, so things were pretty chaotic. When departing on LX/UA to the US, the gate area is also dumpy, but the emigration facilities are generally empty. If you are flying via ZRH, boarding is via one of the Schengen gates in the main terminal, this is by far the most attractive option.
CONCLUSION: clear win for LX, should be even better if they actually enforce priority boarding going forward.
6) In-flight experience GVA-LHR and LHR-GVA
The A319/320 cabins made a good impression overall, and were clean. Seats appear somewhat old-fashioned vs. the slim-line offerings on most *A carriers, but offer plenty of legroom and personal space by European biz standards – definitely better than LX’s similar “Y with blocked middle seat” arrangement. Hot towel service - nice. Catering on both flights was fine, trays with smoked salmon concoctions each time – compare that to basically nothing on GVA-ZRH. Silverware on the GVA-LHR was badly washed, and glass chipped/cracked on 2 of my 4 flights (can’t remember which exactly anymore). Another negative: no connecting flight data displayed on the monitors prior to landing, although given the fact that gates are assigned so late at LHR, this would only make sense for tight connections anyway.
CONCLUSION: slight win for BA, for its more upscale offering. Of course GVA-ZRH is too short to offer much catering-wise.
7) Transfer experience at LHR
This was actually the biggest positive surprise for me, I was expecting a hassle that never materialized. There was a dedicated fast-track lane for flight connections and security, with very short queues. In addition, the security staff was extremely professional and polite, a huge contrast to my experience at LCY just a week before.
Visited both Galleries lounges – they are large, décor is quite attractive and food selection is far more extensive than at the lounges available in ZRH for LX biz class passengers (Business and Bellevue lounges). However, slow/sloppy cleanup was something of an issue (more in Galleries North than South), wifi was spotty/slow, and for some reason the landing page you are directed to after finally logging in doesn’t display flight/gate information, forcing you to repeatedly get up to take a look at the monitors if your seat is not located near one - this would be so simple to fix! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to use the showers on my way back, as my inbound flight was delayed. This delay allowed me to see how well/badly IRROPS were being handled – it looked like BA do a good job at this, as there were approximately 5 agents, each holding a sign for a different connecting flight, meeting our flight as we entered the terminal.
CONCLUSION: a tie vs. connecting at ZRH when arriving from the US, which was a positive surprise for me, given LHR’s terrible facilities in other terminals (at least T1 and T4, haven’t been to T3 in ages). ZRH still has an edge outbound however, as you don’t need to go through security when in transit (even a good security check is worse than no security check).
8) BA 777 service LHR-EWR (BA 189)
The first impression of the cabin is not that good I’m afraid. It just seems like a large expanse crammed with seats. I had seat 15K, selected by travel agency at time of booking, as OLCI was already open. The seat had some advantages: window and direct aisle access; however, the window nearest to my head was missing. The seating area was not particularly clean, especially the divider which had some sort of dried spillage, and the space felt quite narrow. In addition, the right armrest was wobbly and the monitor didn’t tilt vertically. That said, I found the seating remarkably comfortable, and much softer than on LX. It was also nice not to have my feet “boxed in” when I reclined. It was quite irritating to have to keep the floor area totally clear during take-off and landing, somehow this never seems to be an issue on LX (or on the 747 upper deck, see below). It’s also a bit awkward to be closely facing a stranger until the safety briefing has been completed.
Catering was – surprise! – better on BA than LX. My main (hake) was tasty and the portion size was quite large, the dessert (cheesecake) was yummy. The appetizer (beet salad w/watercress and crumbled goat cheese) was fine as well, only the side salad was not the freshest. The afternoon tea (3 different small sandwiches and warm scones) hit the spot and blows LX’s pathetic snack offering out of the water. Only positive on LX: Nespresso - OK, a major positive
IFE content and user-friendliness was good, found it largely comparable to LX. Headsets were better (noise-cancelling), but there was annoying static if I accidentally touched the plug area.
Service was excellent overall.
CONCLUSION: Tie. LX has a more upscale and CLEANER cabin, but the BA seat was more comfortable and catering was clearly superior.
9) Arrival experience at EWR
Terminal B is hands down my favorite international entry point to NYC. I was out of the terminal and in my livery cab within 30 minutes of landing. No lines anywhere (being a US citizen helps), and priority luggage tags worked. This is consistent with my past experiences at EWR on LX as well.
CONCLUSION: tie.
10) Airport baggage drop and security at JFK
Premium check-in is located in a separate section of the (old) terminal, with a dedicated security check as well. There was a short wait for check-in, and the agent was not the sharpest knife in the drawer – he also forgot to add a priority tag to my bag. But I went from the curb to the lounge, located in the gate area, in 15 minutes tops. This is a MAJOR improvement over LX at T4, where the lounge is located before security.
Conclusion: clear win for BA, in spite of outdated terminal appearance.
11) Airport lounge JFK
The Galleries Lounge made a similar impression on me as the LHR ones did, except for the fact that it felt less airy due to lower ceilings and lacking windows/views. The LX lounge, while smaller, has a great airfield view, and I have enjoyed many spectacular sunsets there – wifi is crappy in both lounges. Pre-flight dining was perfectly adequate and offered a much wider choice than LX does, but of course this is also due to the fact there is basically no meal service on the “Sleeper Service” flights to London. Flights are called in the lounge, same as LX.
CONCLUSION: clear win for BA due to location of lounge post-security and wide selection of food. However, the LX lounge is physically more attractive IMO.
12) Gate/boarding at JFK
When the flight was called in the lounge – this was approximately at scheduled departure time already, although the displays continued to show “on-time”, I walked to the gate… only to hear that boarding was being interrupted “for 10 minutes” to cool down the cabin (faulty APU). So I headed back to the lounge, and informed one of the agents of the further delay; she had not been made aware of this. She then told me they would call the flight in the lounge again. When they did, I was able to walk up to the separate fast-track queue at the gate, and board quickly.
CONCLUSION: tie – BA should have won because their basic configuration at JFK is far better with a post-security lounge located very close to the gates, however they didn’t handle the delay well.
13) 744 service JFK-LHR (BA 176)
Spent the extra CHF 123 to pre-book a window seat (63K) on the upper deck– this is clearly the way to go. There is ample storage room thanks to the side bins, which also provide a spacious feeling, it was easily the most comfortable I’ve ever been on a plane, even better IMO than the “throne” seats on LX – no I haven’t flown F (yet), don’t want to get spoiled
I crashed and must have gotten over 4 hours of sleep on a flight lasting only 5:40. The FA left me alone until I was clearly awake, then rapidly brought me the small breakfast just before descent began. Only 2 negatives: water bottles were not handed out proactively (but were freely accessible at the top of the stairs, and not miniature ones like on LX), and again the seat area was not clean, with debris lying on one of the side bins. It was possible for me to access the aisle directly, by squeezing around the back of my seat, on the window side.CONCLUSION: clear win for BA, LX has no equivalent product (upper deck window seat with direct aisle access).
14) OVERALL CONCLUSION
I was satisfied with my choice, as it met and partly even exceeded my expectations. I would definitely fly BA again if it were more attractive price-wise than LX (or the UA nonstops), and definitely prefer it to LH or AF, with their slippery slope seats. The upper deck on the BA 744 is a truly special experience, especially in a window seat, which no other TATL airline duplicates in biz IMO.
In addition, Executive Club and AAdvantage currently both have a special promo for Swiss-based members, with very generous bonuses on premium cabin transatlantic travel on AA/BA/IB – I received a bonus of 40k miles for the trip!
Areas BA need to work on: check-in times at GVA, cleanliness of long haul cabins and lounges, lounge wifi quality, as well as punctuality and communication of delays in boarding.
Last edited by Andre; Oct 6, 2012 at 10:52 am Reason: Added paragraph on GVA lounge, which somehow got lost when cut/pasting from Word...
Oct 9, 2012, 11:07 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, SQ PPS Solitaire
Posts: 3,599
I did a comparison of LX F and BA F two weeks back:
ZRH-JFK, LX New First, A333
JFK-LHR, BA New First, 747
Seat: LX New F is offering a very elegant environment with plenty of space. Great seat, huge TV. BA New F is 'fancier' but comes with a lot less space. Privacy is equally good, with BA having a bit of an advantage. New F is nicer on 777 compared to 747. 8 seats on LX is more exclusive than 14 seats on BA. LX wins hands down: No compromises, great First Class product.
Food: Menu, presentation, quality: LX wins this category as well. Tableware on LX looks better and a 'real' champagne glass just underline that you are seated in First.
Drinks: Both serve Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle which is a great inflight champagne. LX serves Nespresso coffee which I think is a nice touch.
Cabin Crew: Outstanding LX cabin crew, very poor and complacent BA cabin crew. LX is constantly top notch and BA is usually equally good. Surprising to see a totally underperforming crew on my flight.
Ground handling: HON Arrival Service in JFK was superb! BA doesn't support BA Gold flying First in LHR at all. No fast track for First passengers with a European passport?!
Swiss First Class beats British Airways without a doubt. Unfortunately, the new product is limited to flights with A330 aircraft (only half of the current fleet).
ZRH-JFK, LX New First, A333
JFK-LHR, BA New First, 747
Seat: LX New F is offering a very elegant environment with plenty of space. Great seat, huge TV. BA New F is 'fancier' but comes with a lot less space. Privacy is equally good, with BA having a bit of an advantage. New F is nicer on 777 compared to 747. 8 seats on LX is more exclusive than 14 seats on BA. LX wins hands down: No compromises, great First Class product.
Food: Menu, presentation, quality: LX wins this category as well. Tableware on LX looks better and a 'real' champagne glass just underline that you are seated in First.
Drinks: Both serve Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle which is a great inflight champagne. LX serves Nespresso coffee which I think is a nice touch.
Cabin Crew: Outstanding LX cabin crew, very poor and complacent BA cabin crew. LX is constantly top notch and BA is usually equally good. Surprising to see a totally underperforming crew on my flight.
Ground handling: HON Arrival Service in JFK was superb! BA doesn't support BA Gold flying First in LHR at all. No fast track for First passengers with a European passport?!
Swiss First Class beats British Airways without a doubt. Unfortunately, the new product is limited to flights with A330 aircraft (only half of the current fleet).
Oct 16, 2012, 1:19 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: BA Gold, NZ*G
Posts: 204
Oct 17, 2012, 1:12 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Posts: 247
Thanks!
Thanks for the compliment, if it was one
Actually, GVA is a (large) outstation, not a hub, for LX - that would be ZRH. Anyway, I don't think the check-in times at other airports are relevant, the choice is between various competing airline options ex GVA, not flying from a different airport. And if you look at the list of airlines offering "evening before" check-in on the GVA website:
http://gva.ch/en/Portaldata/1/Resour...n_laveille.pdf
you'll note that most of BA's competitors - including sister IAG airline IB - do so, and have counters that will check in any of the day's flights, not just those leaving within the next 2 hours.
BA leaves passengers with basically an hour-long window to check in for any given flight, which sounds more like Ryanair's MO than that of a full-service carrier! It makes no apparent sense, since the BA check-in counters are open basically all day anyway - unless they want to prevent people from spending too much time in the lounge...
Perhaps, but I've yet to see a thread like this one on the LX board 
YMMV indeed, wish both of us only punctual flights for the foreseeable future
Thanks for the compliment, if it was one
I can't comment on check-in times from GVA (what are Swiss's like from its outstations in comparison with BA's from LHR for example?).
http://gva.ch/en/Portaldata/1/Resour...n_laveille.pdf
you'll note that most of BA's competitors - including sister IAG airline IB - do so, and have counters that will check in any of the day's flights, not just those leaving within the next 2 hours.
BA leaves passengers with basically an hour-long window to check in for any given flight, which sounds more like Ryanair's MO than that of a full-service carrier! It makes no apparent sense, since the BA check-in counters are open basically all day anyway - unless they want to prevent people from spending too much time in the lounge...
Aircraft cleanliness can be hit and miss, same for both LX and BA in all cabins.
However in terms of punctuality and associated comms, I have always found BA beats LX in this regard. Always. However each of us is a sample of 1
Oct 18, 2012, 12:52 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
I fly both airlines quite frequently, and I have never found fault with the cabin presentation of SWISS.
Perhaps my standards are not high - though I note BA cabins are quite often scuffed and grubby. I've no idea why this should be so.
Oct 18, 2012, 1:05 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Beautiful Switzerland
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 509
Sorry - but the second assertion is way off! Simply wrong.
I fly both airlines quite frequently, and I have never found fault with the cabin presentation of SWISS.
Perhaps my standards are not high - though I note BA cabins are quite often scuffed and grubby. I've no idea why this should be so.
I fly both airlines quite frequently, and I have never found fault with the cabin presentation of SWISS.
Perhaps my standards are not high - though I note BA cabins are quite often scuffed and grubby. I've no idea why this should be so.
Another thing in favor for LX is the cramped feeling I have with BA in C. 8 pax abreast! Compared to 5 on most other airlines.
W